Father Joe’s parish is large, consisting of 3,300 families, an elementary school with 500 students, and a PSR program (Parish School of Religion) numbering 600 students. But because of the popularity of his books, DVDs, and videos, which include those on sacramental preparation, Father Joe has been able to spread God’s message far beyond his parish boundaries.

The busy priest is frequently asked to speak to large gatherings of catechists and teachers, and Big Al usually “speaks” at these functions too. (Big Al sort of grunts his very brief, mostly monosyllabic comments.) During the past several months, the two have been busy signing copies of their recently published book of prayers for children, My Sister Is Annoying! And Other Prayers for Children. Their newest book, You Want Me to Be Good All Day? will be available September 1. Two more books are in the planning stage, but Big Al is being secretive about the details.

The prayers in My Sister Is Annoying! address concerns of children that are also very real concerns for parents. For example, familiar situations such as moving to a new school, divorce, job loss, and family illness—though not specifically mentioned—find expression in “So Many Things Are Changing.” Another prayer, “When No One Picks Me for Their Team,” reflects a child’s yearning to be accepted, something to which many adults can relate.
“I’m convinced that every day, in countless ways, our children are told that if they want to be happy, what matters most is how they look, what they wear, how popular they are, whether or not they win,” Father Joe says. He wants children to hear another message—the “freeing message” of Jesus. “Each person has a dignity that no one can take away. It matters how we treat one another…that Love is with us each step of the way,” he adds.
That conviction sums up why Big Al, helped by Father Joe of course, developed another series of DVDs for children, Big Al LIVE! Gospel Values for Children, though you’ll see “for kids ages 2 to 102” on the descriptive cover. Each of the three discs is based on one cycle of the Sunday readings of the Lectionary and includes ten short presentations. Each has a short Scripture reading, followed by a brief presentation by Father Joe, a “discussion” with Big Al, and a prayer.

“I think God put it in my heart to help children know those messages, which can help set them free. Big Al and I hope to communicate Jesus’ message in a way that kids will ‘get it’ and that will help draw them into and meet this Jesus who loves them so much,” Big Al’s friend says. This conviction led Father Joe to found Gospel Values, Inc., a nonprofit company dedicated to getting the message of Jesus to children who live in a culture that often doesn’t support that message. (For more information, visit www.welovebigal.com.)